Uncoupling mechanism.



` H. F. WOBRNLEY.

UNCOUPLING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED sPPT. 24, w09.

1,071,849. Patented Sept. 2, 1913.

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UNITED STATES 'IATENI OFFICE.

HARRY F. WOERNLEY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE WEST-INGHOUSE AIR BRAKE COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORA- TION0F PENNSYLVANIA.

UNCOUPLING MECHANISM.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, HARRY F. I/VOERNLEY, acitizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county ofAllegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful.Improvements in Uncoupling Mechanism, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to an uneoupling mechanism for combined car andtrain pipe couplings and more particularly to that type having thecoupling head provided with a locking lever or latch adapted to engage asurface on a counterpart coupling head for locking the heads together'and a hand operated lever for operating the latch on each head so as topermit the heads to separate.

As heretofore constructed, with couplings of the above type it isnecessary to move the hand lever in a certain direction in order toshift the locking latch out of its locking position, so that inuncoupling the operator must pull the hand lever on one head and pushthe hand lever on the other head. This is liable to confuse theoperator, so that he must often stop and think which way the levershould be moved or he is apt to try to shift same in the wrongdirection.

The principal object of my improvement is to provide a coupling of theabove type having means operated by the movement of the hand lever ineither direction from the locked position for shifting the locking latchto the unlocked position.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a horizontal section of acombined car and train pipe coupling with my improvement appliedthereto; Fig. 2 a top plan view thereof; and Fig. 3 a fragmentarysectional view taken substantially on the line a-a of FiO'. 1.

Aecording to the construction shown in the drawinga coupling head 1 isprovided having projections 2 adapted to engage and interlock withsimilar portions on a counterpart coupling head and intermediate theprojections is formed a vertical plane surface 3 having one or moreopenings et for fluid pressure conduits.

For locking the coupling together when coupled a pivoted latch 5 isprovided having a curved surface G adapted to engage with a surface 7 ofthe counterpart coupling head.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 24, 1.909.

Patented Sept. 2, 1 913. serial No. 519,323.

The latch 5 is operated by means of a rod S having a spring 9 acting onthe rod in a direction tending to force the latch 5 into the lockingposition. Secured to the rod 8 is a yoke 10, between the side plates ofwhich is pivoted a roller 11, and mounted on a square key 12 is a cam 13adapted to engage the roller 11. The yoke 10 is provided with guidefingers 14 adapted to engage over hubs l5 of the cam 13. A hand lever 16is secured to one end of the key 12 for operating the cam 13. r1`he cam13 has a central depression in which the roller l1 rests when the handleis in its middle position, thus permitting the spring 9 to act on thelever S and yieldingly maintain the latch 5 in its locked position. Onopposite sides of the depression in the cam 13 are projections 17 havingcurved recesses 18. Upon movement of the hand lever 1G in eitherdirection from its central position, the roller 1l is forced outwardlyby engagement with one of the curved cam faces of the cam 13, therebyshifting the latch 5 to its unlocked position, and continued movementcauses the roller 11 to drop into one of the recesses 18. The rollerengaging in the recess tends to maintain the parts in unlocked position,as will be evident.

With the above described construction, it will be apparent that theoperator need not pay any attention to the direction in which he movesthe hand lever, as the movement either Way from the locked positionoperates to shift the locking latch from its locked position.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Pat-ent, is

1. In an automatic ear coupling, the combination with a coupler headprovided with a locking device adapted to engage a counterpart couplerhead and thereby lock the heads together, of a bar pivotally connectedat one end to said locking device, a rotatable member provided withprojections for act-u ating said bar and thereby the locking device uponmovement in either direction, and a yoke secured to the other end ofsaid bar and provided with guide fingers for engaging said rotatablemember.

2. In an automatic car coupling, the coinbination with a coupler headprovided with Q Y Y 1,0713@ a pivotediatch adapted to engage aoounterroller and thereby shift the latch from its l0 part coupler headand thereby lock the heads looked position.

together, of an" arm pi'votaily connected to In testimony whereof I havehereunto set said lathxa rlolle'r oarried by the arnnani my hand. i aCain cevioeA iavin a' e ressionv in Wnlo'i the #roller is adaptetglF toreist When the latch HARRY F VOERNLLY' is in itsloorked position, theCain device being XWitnesses:

provided With cam faces on opposite sides WM. M. CADY,

of saidV ,depression adapted to engage said A. M. CLEMENTs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained` for ve giants eaoh, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Y Washington, D. C.

